Char&Coop  Book Three: Wish Upon A Star
by Sunkissed Gurl
Summary: This is Book Three of the series Charlotte and Cooper: Living the Fairytale. Follow Charlotte and Cooper and their family through good times and bad. Check out my profile page for Books one&two of the series.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Private Practice does.**

**Summary: Book Three starts eight months after Book Two ended. Charlotte is nine months pregnant and working up until her due date. Cooper is back to work as a pediatrician at OCW and Dr. Todd Turi Took a job as a pediatrician in Sacramento. Cooper asked Allison not to return to work as their baby sitter and Charlotte hired a grandmotherly woman to watch the kids.**

**Let's Begin:**

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**x x x x x x x x x x x x x o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o oo o o -BOOK THREE- CHAPTER ONE -WISH UPON A STAR -x x x x x x x x x x x xx xx x xx x x x x x oo o o o o o o o o oo o o o o ooo ooo oo o **

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Charlotte's sitting in her office. She's nine months pregnant and has to pee again. The baby is lying on her bladder and she has to relieve herself every hour. She gets up to use the bathroom but hears a familiar voice in the hall. It's Dr. Todd Turi talking to Sam. What is he doing here? Talk about bad timing! She waits a few minutes for him to leave but Todd and Sam are shooting the breeze for a while. She calls Cooper in his office.

"Coop get in my office now and bring me an empty pitcher."

"What wrong Cricket?" Cooper asks.

"Just bring it now."

Cooper comes in her office, pitcher in one hand, holding onto his cane for a security with the other. "What's the pitcher for?"

"I need to pee." She gets up and grabs it from him.

"That's why we have bathrooms." He jokes with her.

"Did you see Todd's in the hall?"

"Yup."

"I can't let him see me. Remember? It's kind of hard not to notice I'm pregnant with this huge bump."

Cooper looks down at the puddle forming by Charlotte's feet. "Char I think you just had an accident."

"No I still have to go."

"There's a puddle under you."

She feels the warm water trickle down her legs. "It's not pee. My water just broke. I still have to pee bad."

"I need to take you to the hospital. We'll stop at the bathroom on the way out." He grabs her purse and ushers her out the door.

"What about Todd?" She's worried.

"We don't have a choice." He nearly pushes her into the hallway. Cooper guides her to the bathroom and she doesn't look at Sam or Todd as she passes them.

Sam asks "What's wrong with Charlotte"

Cooper answers "Her water broke. I need to take her to the hospital. Can you cover for us?"

"Of course!" Sam pats Cooper on the back.

"I didn't know Charlotte was pregnant again." Todd's surprised.

"Surprise, surprise." Cooper announces, "We're expecting_ our_ third child and we're very happy about it."

"Congratulations." Todd offers Cooper his hand to shake.

Charlotte comes out of the bathroom.

Todd greets her, "Congratulations Charlotte. I tried calling you a few times after I moved to Sacramento but you never returned my calls."

She's looking at the floor. "Sorry."

Cooper interrupts, "This isn't the time to reminisce, we need to go to the hospital." Cooper hurries Charlotte to the elevator as Todd watches. He's thinking and calculating in his head and now he thinks he knows why Charlotte didn't call him back.

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**At The Hospital**

After six hours of labor Charlotte delivers a healthy baby boy. They name him Akron after Cooper's hometown in Ohio. It's different and Charlotte thinks Cooper chose it because it connects him to the child, just in case. They both study the baby intently.

"He looks like you, Charlotte" Cooper decides. He doesn't look much like Bryce as a baby. Bryce is a little clone of Cooper. Savannah is a good mix of both Cooper and Charlotte with Charlotte's blonde hair and Coopers' bright blue eyes and Charlotte's small nose. This baby looks like he's going to be all Charlotte. He has fine blonde hair and small delicate features. His eyes are more of a hazel color already. Bryce and Savannah had blue eyes from the start.

"I'd have felt better if he came out looking like you and Bryce." Charlotte tells Cooper.

"At least he doesn't look like Todd." Cooper responds staring at the baby.

"Todd's blonde." Charlotte worries

"You're blonde and so is Savannah."

"He does look a lot like me in my newborn pictures." Charlotte admires her new son.

"Good" Cooper sighs, "I have to go relieve Mrs. Campell. I'll bring the kids up to see their new brother later. He kisses Charlotte goodbye.

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**A Few hours later.**

Charlotte finishes feeding the baby and a visitor knocks on her hospital room door.

"Come in" She calls out.

Todd walks in with flowers.

"Thank you." Charlotte looks at the gerber daisies.

Todd begins-"Why didn't you return any of my calls?"

There's a pause. Charlotte doesn't know how to answer him.

"Is he mine?" Todd asks point blank.

"I don't know. We didn't do a paternity test." She takes a deep breath and exhales.

"Why not?" Todd stands there staring at the baby.

"Cooper's my husband. He's the father, either way" That's all she could think to say.

"If he's mine, I want to know. I want to be part of his life."

"Leave it alone Todd. Cooper and I are happy."

"You didn't return my calls because you think he's mine." He accuses.

"I don't know whose he is." She answers to the accusation holding her son

tight.

"I want a paternity test done."

"Come on Todd. I haven't seen you in almost eight months now you come here and demand my son?" Charlotte scrunches her nose at him.

"If he's mine I have a right to him."

"No Todd, Cooper and I are raising him with our other children."

"Charlotte you leave me no choice, I'm going to have to get the court to order a paternity test if you won't agree to it yourself."

"Then what? What will you do if he is yours?"

"I'll ask for partial custody if he's mine."

"You live in Sacramento. He's a newborn and I intend to nurse him. No judge will take a newborn away from his mother especially if he's nursing." Charlotte explains.

"I thought we were friends Charlotte? I helped you out and this is how you repay me?" He looks disgusted at her.

"You had a lot of fun helping me out." She shoots back at him.

He points his finger. "You used me to get back at Cooper!"

"And you enjoyed every second of it." She glares at him.

"I want my son." He threatens her.

"He's Coopers. Now get out!"

"Consent to the paternity test or I get a court order for one." He turns and walks towards the door.

"Fine, I'll give consent for the test." She caves, she knows he'll get the court to order one if she doesn't.

"Thank you." He looks at the baby one more time before he leaves.

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**LATER THAT EVENING:**

Cooper comes back with the kids. The kids jump on Charlotte's bed and hug their momma. They stare at their new brother in their momma's arms.

"I missed you two bananas." Charlotte gives them each a kiss on the top of their heads.

"Baby mine." Savannah tells everyone and she grabs his little hand. Savannah's one and a half years old and vying to be boss of the family. She loves bossing her three year old brother Bryce around.

"You have to be gentle Savannah." Charlotte tells her and removes Akrons' hand from her. You need to wash your hands before you touch the baby.

Cooper takes the kids to the sink and notices the flowers. "Nice flowers. Who sent them?"

"Todd brought them to me. He wants a paternity test." Charlotte answers, moping. "He said he'd get a court order if I didn't consent."

"I guess we don't have a choice." Cooper tells her.

Charlotte sniffs the air. "I think Akron needs his diaper changed."

"Give him to me. I'll change him." Cooper reaches for the baby. He lays him at the end of the bed and removes the old diaper. "I can tell he's mine judging by his lower half he looks just like me and Bryce."

"I hope so. He's a male like you and Bryce." Charlotte shakes her head.

"No, I mean he's well endowed, just like Bryce and myself." Cooper brags.

"Cooper stop." She's annoyed and doesn't want to mention that Todd is also very well endowed. She doesn't think the news will be received well.

"Look at his feet. They're long and narrow like mine and Bryce's." Cooper holds up a little foot to show her.

"They do look like skis; just like yours." She smiles.

"What kind of feet does Todd have?" Cooper asks.

"I didn't look at his feet." She answers.

"Hmmph!" Cooper doesn't want to think about what part of his body she was interested in.

"Let's hope he is yours, because if not Todd's going to give us trouble." She watches him redress the baby.

"What'd he say to you?" Cooper hands the baby back to her.

"He's mad I didn't tell him he might have a kid." She sighs sarcastically, "Who'd of thought?"

"We'll get through it Char. One day at a time. We'll get through it." He kisses her head. "He's mine Cricket. I can feel it."

"What makes you so sure?" Charlotte asks.

"He we was conceived that first night we were together when you wore the latex teddy. I just know it. There was something different, something special about that night."

"Then I slept with Todd the night after but I got up right away and took a shower so hopefully I washed Todd away."

"You were already pregnant by me anyway." He takes off his shoe and a sock. "I mean come on Char look at these feet and tell me he's not mine." He shows her his foot and the baby's comparing them.

Charlotte laughs. "Yeah he's got to be yours alright."

Bryce and Savannah jump back on the bed. "Can we see him now?" Bryce asks

"Yup, meet your new brother Akron." Charlotte tells them proud.

Both children touch the new babies hand and feet. "lil' fingas." Savannah says playing with the baby's hand.

Cooper takes a picture. "These are great shots." He tells Charlotte. "We have the best family."

Charlotte smiles for the picture and hopes Cooper's right about Akron being his son. She doesn't want anything to stand in the way of her little family.

**TBC**

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	2. Chapter 2

**BOOK THREE: CHAPTER TWO **

**WISH UPON A STAR **

**Six weeks later:**

* * *

Cooper comes home from work and Charlotte is nervously pacing the floor.

He kisses his wife hello but she doesn't return it, she's wringing her hands together pacing.

"What's wrong Cricket?" He wants to know.

"It came today." She takes a breath and points to an envelope on the shelf.

He picks up the envelope. "The paternity test. You didn't open it yet?" He looks at her.

"I can't." She's still pacing. "You do it."

Cooper rips the envelope open. Charlotte's heart is pounding. She feels like she might have a heart attack. Cooper studies it for a moment then shouts out. "He's me! Ninety –nine point nine percent Cooper Freedman is the child's biological father. YES!" He looks up at the ceiling and shouts. "I knew he was mine, I had a feeling all along." He hands Charlotte the envelope. "It says Todd Turi has been ruled out as a relative! Yes!"

Charlotte studies the letter. She hugs Cooper and cries tears of joy. "My wish came true. I sat outside every night with Bryce this week and we made wishes on our special star."

Cooper chuckles. "I'm glad your_ wish _came true. Now we can forget about Todd."

"I should call him and let him know."

"You want me to do it? It'd be my pleasure." Cooper grins like a Cheshire cat.

"No I'll do it." Charlotte takes the phone into the other room.

She places the call- "It's Charlotte. I got the test results today."

"So did I," Todd answers. "They sent me a copy. I'm listed as the doctor that ordered the test."

"So you already know?" Charlotte asks.

"I already know." He answers.

"I'm sorry things happened this way Todd. Ypu were a good friend."

"I know. We were good friends until you decided to hide the fact I might have a child from me."

"I'm sorry." She means it and he can tell she's sincere.

"I'm sorry too. "

"So you don't hate me?" She asks.

"I don't hate you. We're okay. Tell ya what?" He asks.

"What?" She's curious.

"I'll even put you on my Christmas card list and I'll call on your birthday."

She laughs. "And you can stop in and say 'hi' the next time you visit Sam."

"I definitely will. And for the record Charlotte, I'm happy things worked out this way and it's Cooper's kid. I didn't want to have a custody fight with you but if he was mine, well... I wanted him…but I'm glad he's not. I'm not ready to be a dad yet."

"I'm glad things worked out this way too. Take care of yourself Todd."

"Touché, my lady" He hangs up.

Charlotte sits on the couch in the living room next to Cooper. Cooper's holding his youngest son. "So how did he take it?"

"He's relieved Akron's not his." She watches him hold the baby.

"I thought he wanted Akron to be his?" Cooper looks at her. Akron has his fist wrapped around Cooper's finger.

"He didn't_ want_ Akron to be his but ...if Akron was his he wanted to be in his life."

"I get it." Cooper answers. "I'm glad things turned out okay." He breathes a sigh of relief. "Why do you look so down?"

"I'm happy you're the father but I just feel horrible about Todd, I lost a friend."

"Why? What did he say to you?" Cooper asks.

"Nothing. I don't think things will ever be the same between us"

"You slept with him." Cooper reminds her.

"I don't mean that. I mean before _that_, he was someone I could talk to and confide in. I don't have any other friends like that."

"Here" Cooper hands her a pamphlet that came in the mail. "It's a social group for working mothers. It says right here 'Make friends with people in the same situation: night classes offered.' ''You should go Charlotte. Make some friends."

She takes the pamphlet from him and looks it over, "Maybe I will."

Cooper puts his arm around Charlotte and pulls her in tight. She looks at baby Akron in his arms. "You know what I thought of?" He asks.

"What?" She asks staring at the baby.

"Bryce looks like me, Savannah is a mix of us and now we have Akron who looks just like you." He tells her.

"So?" She wonders what he's trying to point out.

"I think our family is complete."

"I'd be okay with that." She tells him. "I wouldn't mind one more to make an even four but I'd also be okay with it if we were done." She stares at Akron and is thankful he turned out to be Coopers son.

"I'm content Charlotte. We have the perfect family. We're living the dream. Now we just need the dog to make it complete."

She laughs, "A dog? I've already got three children under the age of four and you want me to keep after a dog too? She smacks his arm hard.

"There we go, that's the mean bossy Charlotte King I fell in love with." He laughs at her.

"Cooper if you weren't holding the baby you'd be sorry you said that." She teases him.

"Yeah? What are you going to do to me Miss Bossy?" He laughs.

"Put the baby down and I'll show you!" She commands.

"Yes ma'am." Cooper puts the baby in his infant swing.

Charlotte pushes Cooper down on the couch and sits on him straddling style. "Oh I'm really scared now." Cooper teases her.

"Shut up and kiss me." She orders him and he obeys.

Six week old Akron swings back and forth and watches the show.

**Next chapter- Look out for a twist and more drama! **

**TBC... Reviews make me smile! **


	3. Chapter 3

**BOOK THREE-CHAPTER THREE- WISH UPON A STAR **

**Two months later:**

Charlotte's at the the social group for working mothers' with Akron. Cooper suggested it might be a good way for her to expand her social circle since it's currently limited to her family and co-workers. The woman running the social group greets her and instructs her to mingle with the other mothers. Charlotte makes small talk with another mom about her baby until she is startled to see a familiar face walk in the room. Charlotte tries to focus on her conversation with the new mom but she can't stop her head from turning to look at Allison. She finally decides to walk over and greet her.

"Allison, I almost didn't recognize you." Charlotte greets the long dark haired girl that used to babysit for Bryce and Savannah. Allison's put on a few pounds since Charlotte last saw her almost a year ago.

"Oh Dr. King, I didn't know you had another baby?" Allison looks nervous and avoids eye contact with Charlotte.

"This is Akron. He's three months old." She looks at the baby Allison's holding. "I see you found a new babysitting job?" Charlotte looks at the baby Allison has snuggled up to her in a papoose style sling.

"Oh no," Allison answers quietly avoiding eye contact. "She's mine. I'm here for the working mother's group."

"You had a baby?" Charlotte studies the infants' face. She has dark hair and light eyes, sort of resembles Bryce as a baby. "She's beautiful."

"Thanks. She's also three months old." Allison walks to the oposite end of the room and sits down.

Charlotte's heart sinks. She never considered this and now she wonders, why not.

The leader calls everyone's attention and asks them each to introduce themselves. Charlotte is asked to go first.

"My name is Charlotte King-Freedman. I'm a doctor. This is Akron, my third child with my husband. We named him after the city of Akron, Ohio where my husband was born and raised." The other mother's say hello and they move around the circle until they all get a chance to introduce themselves.

They go around the cirlce and Allison is the last to speak. "My name is Allison. I'm twenty three years old. This is my first child, Sammie, it's short for Samantha. I work as a babysitter, which is great because I can bring my child to work with me.

The remainder of the social hour the mothers are instructed to interact with each other as they sing songs and do exercises with their babies. Charlotte's eyes keep roaming to Allison and Sammie. She can't help but think Sammie looks like Cooper and Bryce.

**LATER**

Cooper's already in bed when Charlotte comes home. "Cooper, wake up I need to talk to you."

Cooper's groggy. "What is it? How was your class?"

"You'll never guess who I saw there?" Her voice sounds annoyed.

"Charlotte, I'm too tired for guessing games." He pulls the covers up and turns away from her. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"I saw Allison! She has a baby!" She sits down next to him.

"Good for her. I'm glad she was able to move on with her life." He closes his eyes again. "She took it pretty hard when I fired her."

"Cooper the baby is three months old. The same age as Akron." She insists to him.

"So?" Cooper wants to go back to sleep.

"And she looks like you."

He opens his eyes and turns back over to face her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The baby's the same age as Akron, do the math. You slept with her around the same time I slept with Todd. Get it?" She's talking fast and agitated.

"You think it's my baby?" His heart sinks.

"She can pass for it by the looks of her, but I didn't ask so I don't know for sure." Charlotte lays her head on the pillow next to him. ""She was deliberately avoiding me at the social group."

"Allison would have told me if she was pregnant." Cooper insists.

"You fired her Cooper. You kicked her out of your life."

"No,after she had sex with me she talked about how she just wanted to do it again. I bet she found some guy and ended up getting pregnant." He wants to believe this.

"It's possible but this baby has an uncanny resemblance to you."

"Stop saying that Charlotte! Can we just go to sleep now?" He rolls over but his eyes are wide open. He's not sleeping tonight.

The next morning he tries to call Allison but she changed all her phone numbers. Charlotte decides she'll approach Allison at the next social meeting, except when she gets there Allison doesn't show up. After calling several different numbers with no luck.

**Two weeks later**:

Charlotte's at work in the emergency room when she sees Allison again.

"Allison? What are you doing here?"

"Sammie's sick!" Allison's teary eyed and visibly upset. "She has a high fever and she started shaking and her eyes were rolling back in her head. I was so scared." Allison's crying now. " Please help her."

"It sounds like she had a febrile seizure, we see that a lot here. Let me look at her chart." Charlotte rubs Allison's shoulder. She can't help but feel compassion for the young mother.

Charlotte looks at the chart and under the medical history notices the father's section is blank. "Do you know anything about the fathers' heath? Do seizures run in his family?"

"I don't know." Allison answers.

"Allison, is Sammie Cooper's baby?" Charlotte asks her directly.

"I can't get into this now. My daughter is sick. I just want her to get better." Allison's crying.

"Sammie will be okay. She had a febrile seizure. We just need to keep her fever down." Charlotte reassures her.

"Why wouldn't you tell Cooper if you were pregnant?"

"I don't want anything to do with Cooper. Please just leave it alone." Allison walks away from Charlotte and back into her daughters' room.

Charlotte knows how it feels to walk in Allison's shoes. Those are the same shoes she wore around Todd. She feels empathy for this girl she should hate.

**..TBC...**

**Thanks to my Beta Just For Fun for all her help with this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

BOOK 3- CHAPTER 4

********WISH UPON A STAR *********

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**

Cooper's at home reading a bedtime story to Bryce and Savannah when the phone rings. "Daddy will be right back. Don't peek ahead at the pictures." He warns them as he answers the phone.

Charlotte's on the other end and she tells Cooper, "Allison's at the hospital with the baby. The baby had a seizure, Allison's pretty upset."

"Okay, I'll be right up. Let me just call someone to sit with the kids." Cooper hangs up. "Daddy can't finish the story but how about if I call Miss Nancy and ask her to read it with you?"

"I want you daddy." Savanna cries out as she tugs on his leg. Savannah is almost two and a daddy's girl.

"Daddy has something very important to do but I promise I'll read with you tomorrow." Cooper picks Savannah up and kisses her little nose.

"I'm important daddy." Savannah tells him in a her sweet voice and gives him her sad puppy dog eyes.

Cooper sighs. "Yes you are very important but Daddy is a doctor and there is a sick baby at the hospital daddy needs to go and see."

Three and a half year old Bryce suggests, "Momma's a doctor and she's already workin' at the hopital, let her take care of the sick baby."

"No. Bryce this is something that daddy needs to take care of not your momma." He puts Savannah down and calls the babysitter to come by.

Within half an hour the babysitter arrives and Cooper leaves his unhappy children to finish reading with her while he heads to the hospital to see Allison and her baby.

Charlotte points him to Sammie's room and watches from the hall as he walks in to see them. Cooper stares at the baby and notices the resemblance to both him and Bryce. "Hello Allison." He says.

Allison opens her eyes and rubs them "Cooper? She told you? Why would she do that?" Allison stares in disbelief "I wouldn't think she'd even want you to know about Sammie?"

"She's my wife Allison. We don't keep secrets. Why didn't you tell me, Al?" Cooper ask softly.

"I told you I was falling in love with you and you fired me. You wanted me out of your life. Why would I tell you?"

"Because if I'm her father I have the right to know."

"I don't know if you're the father anyway. It's possible it could be someone else." Allison tells him as she gets up to check on her sleeping baby.

Charlotte's listening in the hall, thinking now Cooper' in the same shoes Todd was in a couple months ago and she doesn't like it.

"I don't want you in her life either way. I don't want you in my life." She tells him.

"Why?" Cooper asks. looking at the sleeping baby.

"I can't be around you. That's all. It's not good for either one of us." Allison picks the baby up and holds her protectively, covering her face lightly with a blanket so Cooper can't look at her. "I found someone else anyway, he wouldn't understand."

"He thinks he's the father?" Cooper asks.

"Just leave things alone Coop. I spent every day with you while I was babysitting. I knew you needed to feel like a man and I did those things for you, not your wife. Your wife was too busy working and talking to that doctor friend of hers. _I_ was the one there for you and then you dump _me_."

Charlotte's in the hall listening and rolls her eyes.

"Al, I love my wife but if Sammie is mine, I need to know." Cooper gently explains.

"No. Please get out or I'll call security." She demands. Cooper pulls the blanket down to look at the baby and rubs his hand over her head before leaving the room.

He meets Charlotte in the hall. She's annoyed. "I'm sorry Charlotte." He tells her as she grabs his arm and drags him outside the emergency room exit.

"I'm not mad cuz it's your baby. Akron could have very well been Todd's." She glares at him then looks around to make sure nobody can hear them.

"You could have fooled me with the death grip." Cooper shakes his arm free from her grip.

"I'm mad because you're doing the same thing to her that Todd did to me."

"Charlotte if it's my baby I want to be in it's life."

"That's exactly what Todd told me. Not fun to walk in the other person's shoes is it?" She scowls.

"It's a mess Charlotte. I don't know what to do." He puts his hands over his face.

She can't resist. She can never stay mad at him. She pulls him in close and hugs him. "It's gonna to be alright Coop. We'll get through this, somehow."

**A few days later:**

Cooper's preoccupied calling family law attorney's trying to have a paternity test ordered on Sammie. Charlotte's at work at the hospital and runs into Todd.

"What are you doing here? I didn't expect to see you again?" She's happily surprised.

His demeanor is low key. "I'm here to visit my grandmother. Elizabeth Turi in the ICU." He looks teary eyed. "She's not doing so well."

"I'm sorry." Charlotte rubs his back. "You're grandmother's a very sweet woman. I met her the other day when the family was in to make a decision."

Todd looks at the floor. "They decided not to continue her chemotherapy. It's harming her body more than the cancer at this point. She's going downhill fast." Todd's tries to choke back some tears.

"If there's anything I could do please let me know." Charlotte pats his shoulder. She means it.

"Thank you." He walks away with his head down.

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Cooper comes running up to Charlotte in the hospital hallway his face beaming like a childs on Christmas morning.

"What is it Cooper?" She asks noticing his excitement.

He shows her a piece of paper. "I did it Cricket. I got the judge to order Allison to do a paternity test. She has to do it. Then if the test show's Sammie's mine which we already know she is then I'll file for custody." He's excited.

"Partial custody Cooper. You're not taking that baby away from her momma. I won't let you." Charlotte warns.

"Of course, I'm not planning to do that. I just want some time with her, I'll settle for every other weekend."

"Okay good. I wasn't sure the way you came barreling down the hall."

"I'm just excited."

Charlotte looks down the hall and notices that Todds' grandmother's room is empty. "Excuse me Cooper, I've got to get back to work." She walks up to a nurse. "Where's Mrs. Turi?"

"She passed away a little a while ago. We're just cleaning out her room." The nurse answers.

"Was the family here?" Charlotte asks the nurse.

"Yes and they were all pretty upset." The nurse tells her. "They left and forgot the pictures that were pinned up on the bulletin board."

"I know them. I'll bring the pictures to them." The nurse hands Charlotte the pictures and Charlotte looks through them. She finds one of Todd with his grandmother as a child and it makes her smile. She'll bring by the pictures after work.

**..TBC...**

**Thanks to Just For Fun for being my incredible beta! **

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter contains some content that may not be suitable for minors. Read at your own discretion.

**BOOK 3 CHAPTER 5 WISH UPON A STAR**

* * *

Charlotte calls Todd to drop off the pictures. She's surprised he's staying in a hotel and not at his folks as she thought. He tells her on the phone that his folks place is too crowded with all the relatives visiting from out of town to say goodbye to grandma, so he decided to get a hotel room. He gives her directions so she could deliver the pictures.

She knocks on the door and he answers wearing a t-shirt and jeans. His eyes are red from crying. She can see he's gotten into the liquor offered in the hotel refrigerator. "Ya know it's a lot less expensive to bring your own bottle then to drink all those little bottles in the hotel fridge. You have to pay for all those. If I'd known I would have picked up a bottle for ya."

"Thanks for coming with the pictures." They both sit on the couch and look at them. "This one is me with grandma." He tells her.

"You were pretty close with your grandmother, huh?" She asks

"She practically raised me. My parents are both doctors and worked all the time. Grandma taught me everything I know." He sips the little bottle of whiskey.

Charlotte takes the whiskey away from him. "I think you had enough for now. You'll thank me in the morning."

"Enough about me how are you and Cooper doing?" He puts his legs up on the couch not minding that their laying across her lap.

She looks at him and answers. "You're not going to believe this one." She sighs.

"I'll believe anything. Tell me, I need a distraction from this grief."

"Cooper got the babysitter pregnant. We found out about it by accident when she took the baby to the ER. She never told Cooper she was pregnant."

"Sounds freakishly familiar." He raises his eyebrows up at her.

"I know and now Cooper wants to be part of the baby's life, and she wants no part of him. It's a mess."

"Cooper deserves it." He smirks. "Karma."

She swats his arm. "Be nice." She takes a sip of the whiskey herself now. "Besides, I kept the pregnancy from you too. I didn't want the test done either. It wasn't all Cooper's fault."

"You were a bad friend. I should spank you." He shakes his finger at her. He's teasing but he's also had a bit too much to drink.

"I _was_ a bad friend and you didn't deserve it. You were always a good friend to me." She takes a sip if his whiskey. "I don't have many friends, making friends has never been my strong suit. I need to keep the few I got."

"Don't worry your purty little head about it ma'am." He exaggerates her southern accent. "I'm still your friend." He jerks his hand over her head and shakes her hair about.

"You always helped me out whenever I needed it. You never said no." Charlotte tell him as she takes another sip of whiskey.

"I can never say no to you." He chuckles. "Especially that last favor you asked me, to sleep with you to help you forgive Cooper. "That was a doozy." He chuckles.

She takes another sip of his whiskey."It worked. I felt better and I forgave him." She tells Todd.

"I'm glad I could help you then." He tries to do the southern drawl again. "Always at your service ma'am." He laughs at himself.

Charlotte looks at him. "You're not funny, but I'll excuse you cuz of your grandma passing away today and your drunk."

He looks down and pauses a moment. He looks back up and starts sipping out of the whiskey bottle again. "I'm gonna miss my grandma. She was only 64. Why'd she have to go and get cancer?" He sighs and drinks more whiskey.

Charlotte takes the bottle away from him again. "Drinking isn't going to bring her back."

He buries his hands in his face. "I know but it takes a way the pain a little."

"Tell me how I could help you?" Charlotte asks. "Besides drinking with you and..."

Before she has the chance to finish her sentence his lips are on top of hers. He's kissing her, it's a wet deep throat kiss. She feels his hand move down and start to unbutton her blouse. "Todd this isn't a good idea." She pulls away from him.

"I helped you out with that favor so you could forgive Cooper, now it's your turn to help me." He moves his hands back and continues to unbutton her blouse. "Think of it as one friend doing a favor for another friend, remember?" He slides her blouse off her shoulders and down her arms.

"It's different now Todd. I forgave Cooper."

"_I_ need the favor now. I helped you out, now it's your turn to help me." He unhooks her bra and cups her breast. "It's your turn to be a good friend to me like I did with you." He kisses her neck.

She takes a deep breath. "Pants stay on. Got it?"

"Got it" He runs his hands gently over her breasts and she lets out a soft moan. He gently pushes her onto the couch and climbs on top of her.

"Pants stay on." She reminds as he kisses down her neck. His mouth moves down to her breast, he licks and suck her nipple and she feels herself getting wet. She snakes her hand in his jeans and fondles him.

"He unbuttons her pants and slips his fingers under her panties" She lets out a moan and he pulls her pants all the way off in one swift motion.

"I said pants stay on." She takes her hands off him and starts to lift herself up.

"Mine are on." He replies as he rubs her between the thighs and gently pushes her back down. He runs his fingers softly over her body. She feels her self getting wetter and can't keep from moaning in pleasure. He tugs on her nipple with his teeth and she lets out a scream. He does it again. Her body is tingling in ecstacy right now from his touches.

She unzips his pants to get better access to him and starts pumping him rapidly. He goes to pull his pants off.

"No" She says breathing heavy. "Pant's have to stay on."

"Come on" he says. "Don't be a spoil sport."

"I mean it Todd, pants stay on." She continues to pump him as he slips two fingers inside her.

"Yes ma'm." He has one hand on her breast and the other hand between her legs. She's moaning and stroking him. He leans up to reposition himself. "Just a minute," he tells her and she waits, her body screaming with pleasure. She feels him reposition himself between her parted knees. He kisses her intensely on the mouth again and she returns it, getting lost in the moment. She reaches down for him and guess what, no pants. He took them off. This is a bad idea, she's about to stop him when she feels his hard muscle rubbing up against her. He nips and tugs her nipple again and she can't help but scream out in pleasure. She feels his hard muscle enter her. "Oh crap" she thinks but it she's wet and ready and she can't stop now. Their hips glide back and forth together and it doesn't take long before waves of pleasure are bursting through her.

She moans and he tells her. "That my lady!" He shoots out his white juice as she reaches her climax. They're both breathing heavy as he collapses on her.

Not a minute later she's regretting it. "Get off me. I've got to go home and I'm not your lady."

"Why?" He holds her tight with his hands still on her.

"Shit" She grumbles to herself. "Get off me Todd. I'm married to Cooper." She pushes him off her.

"It's a little late to say that." He chuckles, he's had too much to drink.

She looks for her clothes scattered on the floor. "I never should have done this." She can't stop the tears from coming to her eyes.

He grabs at her. "Awe come on. You had fun."

"I told you to keep your pants on." She buttons her blouse.

"I figured you wouldn't mind since your husband has a kid with someone else. You know, it'd be easier for you to forgive him this way." He smirks. "Who knows maybe you'll end up having a kid with me after this." He smiles at her.

"I damn well better not end up pregnant from this!" She pulls on her pants.

"Don't leave yet. " He watches her get dressed. " I'm waiting for us to go round two."

"I'm leavin' before you pull my clothes off again!" She buttons her pants and slips her stilettos on. "I feel disgusting. I need to go home and shower." She grabs her purse and rushes towards the door.

"Come on! Don't act like you didn't want it as much as me!" He shouts at her as she walks to the door. "You were yowling like a cat in heat."

"You're a nasty man when you're drunk. I don't know you right now!" She shouts, her voice cracking, tears in her eyes. Todd was supposed to be her friend.

Charlotte slams the door closed behind her. She feels like a disgusting cheater. She made a promise with Cooper that they'd never cheat on each other again. She gets in her car and drives off. She's crying and feels herself start to tremble. She wants to vomit. She wishes she could erase that last hour of her life. Her eyes are clouded with tears and she doesn't see the red light in front of her. She hears tires screeching and sees bright lights coming at her. **BOOM**. Everything turns black.

* * *

**Cooper's home in bed and the phone rings.** He looks at Charlotte's side of the bed and is surprised she's not home yet. She must have had an emergency at the hospital he thinks as he answers the phone. "Hello, Dr. Freedman speaking?"

"This is Dr. Meyers at St. Ambrose. I'm sorry to tell you Charlotte's been in a motor vehicle accident."

"What?" Cooper nearly drops the phone. "Is she okay?"

"She's unconscious with a subdural hematoma, other than that she sustained some minor bruises and abrasions."

"I have to call a babysitter and I'll be right there." Cooper hangs up the phone and pulls his clothes on.

**At the hospital** Cooper waits all night by Charotte's side for her to wake up. He holds her hand and talks to her. Nothing is as important to him right now as Charlotte waking up. He stays by her bedside and holds her hand all night.

Early the next morning she finally does open her eyes. She squints at him and looks around confused. "I feel like two elephants are having a party in my head." She rubs her hand over her head.

Cooper chuckles then tells her softly "You're at St. Ambrose. You were in a car accident last night."

"How bad?" She grimaces still holding her head.

"The car is totaled and you have a subdural hematoma which explains the elephants dancing in your head." He holds her hand. "You're going to be okay Cricket."

"I don't remember it. What happened? Where was I going?" She grimaces.

"They said you drove through a red light. It was late." Cooper shrugs his shoulders. " I think you must have fallen asleep on your way home from work."

"Was anyone else hurt?" She's concerned.

"You got the worst of it." He tells her. "But you're going to be okay. You have a small hematoma on your brain that we need to keep an eye on. You were lucky, there were no other injuries." He kisses her on the head. "You scared me though. Nothing else is important. Fighting with Allison about Sammie isn't important. You're important to me Charlotte. If anything ever happened to you….I'd..."

Charlotte interrupts and grabs his hand. "I'm okay, just a little headache. but I hate not being able to remember how it happpened."

"What's the last thing you remember yesterday?" Cooper holds her hand.

"I don't know." Charlotte tries to think back. "I remember coming back from lunch and going to my office to do some paperwork and that's it. It's like I fell asleep in my office after lunch and woke up just now." She worries.

"Do you remember seeing me in the hall yesterday evening. I told you I got the judge to order the paternity test?" Cooper reminds her.

"No, it doesn't ring a bell but congratulations on getting the judge to side with you."

"That's not important to me right now. I spent all night evaluating what's important and you and the kids are it." Cooper explains.

"I'm glad to hear it." Charlotte smiles, "But it's a strange feeling not to remember what you did the day before."

"It's from the brain injury. Short term memory loss is common." Cooper explains.

"I know that Coop, it's just unsettling when it happens to you." She tries to explain. "I hope I didn't do anything important or sign off on any important papers that I can't remember.

"So we'll retrace your steps and ask people you were around yesterday what you did?" Cooper advises still holding her hand.

"What did we have for dinner last night?" Charlotte's tries to jog her memory.

"You didn't come home for dinner. I thought you were working late or maybe you went shopping."

"I hate this." She scratches at her head. Cooper's gets a text message.

"It's Allison. She says it's important. She wants to meet me this morning to talk about the paternity test." He puts the phone back in his pocket.

"Go talk to her. I'll be fine here trying to figure out what I did for the past day." She smiles.

"I love you." He kisses her goodbye.

"Love you too." She squeezes his hand before letting it go so he could leave.

"Don't go anywhere." He jokes with her as he walks out the door using his cane for some support and security.

"I'll be waiting for you." She waves goodbye.

**TBC...**

**I love reading the reviews so don't forget to leave me one! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**BOOK 3 Chapter 6 Wish Upon A Star**

Cooper arrives at the pancake house that Allison asked him to meet her at. He finds Allison already seated at a table and sits down next to her.

"Where's Sammie? He asks.

"She's home with my fiance, Keith." Allison flips her hair back and tells him. "I ordered you a coffee and some pancakes with eggs."

"Thank you." Cooper continues, "How did you order the eggs?"

"Over easy on a roll with cheese,salt and pepper. Is that still how you like them?" Allison asks.

"It is. I'm surprised you remembered. It's been about a year since I last saw you."

I remember everything like it was yesterday." Allison tells Cooper.

Cooper smiles. It's a little awkward. "You said Sammie was home with your _fiance? _You said you were with someone now but I didn't know it was so serious. You're engaged?" Cooper's surprised.

"Yes, after you fired me over the phone, I was upset. I went out to a bar and met Keith." She drinks her coffee. "He was nice and I went home with him that night. I needed the company to forget you. I thought it was going to be a one night stand but it turned into much more than that. I live with him now."

"Good for you." Cooper sips his coffee.

"When I found out I was pregnant, I assumed it was his. I was already sleeping with him when I found out." She takes a bite of her bagel. "He's been supportive throughout the pregnancy and asked me to marry him after Sammie was born."

"He thinks Sammie's his?" Cooper asks.

"Yes. I never told him about you. I was too upset about the whole thing."

"Why didn't you think I was the one that got you pregnant?" Cooper's curious.

"You were still recovering. You told me it was the first time you were able to have sex since being paralyzed." She flips her hair. "I didn't think your swimmers were any good. Keith's a big strong healthy guy, so I figured it had to be his."

"I don't know about that. She looks just like me." Cooper sips his coffee. "That's why we need to do the test."

"That's exactly why I don't want to do the test" She puts her coffee down. "Keith's been with me through the whole pregnancy. He loves Sammie." She looks into Cooper's eyes." If he finds out she's not his it'll break his heart. He doesn't deserve that." She flips her hair out of her face. "He's a good guy and he treats Sammie and I really well."

"But if she's mine, I have a right to know, to be a part of her life. I want to contribute financially." Cooper argues.

Allison sighs, "We were doing just fine before we ran into you. Keith has a good job and I'm working. We don't need your help." She takes a bite of her bagel and swallows. "Besides you have Charlotte and your three kids, why can't you just leave us alone?"

This sounds familiar to Cooper as it reminds him of the situation with Todd after Akron was born. "I would feel better knowing if she was mine for sure or _not_." Cooper answers.

Allison puts down her coffee cup. "I wouldn't. If Sammie turns out to be yours I would have to tell Keith, but if I don't know, I'm not lying to him."

Cooper stares at her. "It doesn't feel right to walk away if she's mine."

"You were adopted right Cooper?" She asks.

"Yes."

"Think of it like that. Your parents raised and love you. Keith loves Sammie." She pulls out a picture of Keith holding Sammie. "Not knowing will make it easier on all of us. You and Charlotte can continue as you are with your family and Keith and I can continue with ours.

Cooper looks at the picture. "She's sweet. She looks a lot like Bryce here."

"That's why I think she may be yours but Keith says she looks like his mom." She takes the picture back. "We're going to Arizona next month to plan the wedding and I'll meet his mom. She's excited to meet her first grandchild. I hope Keith is right and she looks like her."

"You really think so?" Cooper looks at her.

"I'm hoping." She finishes her coffee. "Look Cooper if there's ever a problem we could always do a paternity test in the future, let's just leave things the way they are now. Let's pretend I never ran into you at the hospital."

Cooper thinks about it. He was adopted and his parents loved him. Keith loves Sammie. It would make things easier for him and Charlotte and their family if he did just leave it alone and maybe Sammie is Keith's. Maybe she does look like Keith's mom. He thinks about how he wished Todd would just leave things alone and let him raise Akron if Akron turned out to be Todd's. "Okay." He answers. "I'll leave it alone for now but if you ever need me, if she ever needs anything, I want you to call me and we'll do the test."

Allison sighs in relief then smiles big. "Thank you, Cooper. I promise Keith and I will love her and do everything the best we can for her." She picks up her purse to leave." I really hope she's Keith's." She waves and leaves. Cooper hopes he made the right decision.

* * *

**At the hospital:**

Charlotte's resting in bed trying to remember anything about yesterday. There's a knock at her door. She looks up to see Todd walk in with flowers.

"Pretty!" She holds her hands out for the flowers. "Get well flowers?"

"Actually they're I'm sorry flowers and I guess get well too." He hands her the flowers. "I found out about your accident this morning and felt just awful."

"Why?" She sniffs the flowers. She pulls out the 'I'm sorry' card attached.

"Don't you remember?" He asks watching her.

"I konked my head pretty bad, subdural hematoma, I can't remember anything that happened for the past day. Tell me what you know."

"Okay," he takes the flowers from her and puts them in a makeshift vase using a suction canister. "My grandmother passed away yesterday afternoon." He fills the vase with water.

She watches him. "I'm sorry to hear that. She was a nice lady."

"Thank you." He puts the flowers on the bedside table? "My family left some pictures hanging on the bulletin board in her hospital room. You stopped by last night to give them to me."

"Okay?" She says touching the flower tips. "What happened?"

"I was drinking and we talked about my grandmother, then you were drinking and you told me Cooper had a baby with the babysitter." He touches the flowers too now.

"I told you that?" She pulls out a daisy and sniffs it.

"Yeah and you told me you wanted to help me feel better." He swallows. "You told me you wanted to be a good friend to me like I was to you after Cooper cheated on you."

Charlotte takes a deep breath. "Oh no. Tell me what happened." Her eyes are wide in fear of what he is going to say next.

"I started kissing you. I had too much to drink." He scratches his face and thinks. "I wanted you to return the favor I did for you when Cooper slept with the babysitter but you weren't as into it and . ..."

She interrupts. "Good. I'm glad because I couldn't live with myself if I cheated on Cooper again."

"You made it clear that our pants should stay on but I tried to push it. It was the alcohol and the grief, I wasn't myself last night." He explains as he watches her play with the flower." I didn't exactly want to follow your rules."

"So I got mad at you?" She asks. "Did I leave mad?"

"We started yelling at each other. It was the alcohol talking. You might have been crying when you left."

"So that's why you brought me the 'I'm sorry flowers'?" She looks at him.

"Yeah." He answers. He decides not to tell her they had sex last night. He knows it will upset her and since she's recovering from a brain hematoma, it's not the best time to upset her. It can wait. "I'm sorry." He tells her.

"Don't blame yourself. At least we didn't sleep together."

"Still, I'm very sorry you got hurt." He figures he'll tell her the truth next week when she's feeling better and before he leaves for Sacramento.

I'm a competent adult, if I was that upset I should have pulled the car over and called Cooper for a ride." She pats his hand. "I know you're grieving over your grandma so don't worry bout me. I'll be fine."

"Okay." He tells her. "I have to go help make arrangements for my grandmother's funeral but I'll stop by to see you next week before I go back to Sacramento." He gets up to leave.

"I'd like that." She tells him and waves a hand goodbye.

**An hour later:**

Cooper comes back into Charlotte's hospital room hobbling with his cane. Charlotte chuckles.

"I see you're in a good mood. What's so funny?" He asks as he sits next to her on her bed.

"We are two peas in a pod. We're a mess, you with your cane and me with my head." She holds his hand.

"Where'd you get the flowers?" He reaches out to grab one from the vase.

"Todd stopped by. He helped clear up where I was right before the accident."

"What did he say?" Cooper's curious.

"He told me I went to see him to drop off some pictures of his grandmother. She passed away in the hospital yesterday."

"Okay?" Cooper sniffs the flower.

"We talked, he said he was drunk. We got into an argument so I left. He felt bad about it, hence the flowers." She sniffs the one she's holding.

"What did you argue about?" Cooper's surprised to hear she argued with Todd. They normally get along so well.

She hesitates and looks at him.

"Charlotte?" His voice gets deep. "Tell me."

"Okay but don't get mad." She takes a deep breath. "He was drunk and wanted to fool around with me. He said I had something to drink too."

"Oh No! Don't tell me...?"

"No I didn't sleep with him. That's what we argued about. He said he had too much to drink and he was pushing me. I got mad and we started yelling and I left."

"And you got into a bad accident. That bastard! You could have been killed." Cooper throws the flower down on the bed. "I should go find him and..…"

Charlotte interrupts "No Cooper, his grandmother just died and nothing happened, I left before it did, so just relax." She puts the flower back in the vase.

"You could have been killed." He looks at her. "Because of him!"

"I'm okay." She puts her hand on his knee to reassure him. "Now tell me what Allison wanted. When is she going to do the test?"

Cooper tells her. "We decided to leave it alone, to forget about it for now."

"What?" Charlotte's surprised. "Why?"

"She's getting married to the guy that thinks he's Sammies' dad." Cooper sighs. "Allison's hoping he's the dad. She wants me to leave it alone the way we hoped Todd would."

"But Sammie looks just like you." Charlotte's surprised at Cooper.

"She brought it up that I was adopted. I thought about how we wanted Todd to leave it alone and let me raise Akron if he turned out to be Todd's, so I let it go." He looks at her.

"I'm proud of you." She kisses him lightly. "That was a tough decision but the right one."

"I guess some things are better left unknown." He pats her knee.

She pats his knee. "Yes some things are better left unknown." She smiles.

**Review if you like it, please!**

**...TBC...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Book Three Chapter 7**

Charlotte's at home resting today. It's been a week since her accident and she hasn't been cleared to return to work yet. There's a knock at the door. She gets up to answer it.

"Todd this is a surprise. Come in." She leads him to the living room to the couch. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asks her guest.

"Some coffee would be fine. I'm heading back to Sacramento now but I wanted to stop and see you before I left." He sits down.

"I'm honored," she teases as she gets the coffee.

How are you doing?" He asks.

"Better. My headaches are just about gone." She pours the coffee. "I still can't remember anything about the day of my accident."

"That's what I wanted to talk about."

"You already apologized enough." She asks taking a sip of her coffee.

"I may have left a few things out at the hospital last week." He looks up and sees Cooper coming down the stairs.

"I'm going to the hospital to do my rounds now." Cooper walks over to them." What are you doing here?" he asks Todd.

"He just came to say goodbye. He's headed back to Sacramento today." Charlotte explains.

"Good!" Cooper smiles. He gives Charlotte a kiss goodbye on the lips. He makes it last a bit longer that he normally would because of Todds' prescence. "Love you Cricket." Cooper tells Charlotte.

Charlotte feels uncomfortable saying it in front of Todd but she knows it's important to Cooper. "I love you too." She says soflty, as she walks him to the door. Cooper looks at Todd to make sure he heard it.

After Cooper leaves, Todd says. "You two seem to be doing well."

Charlotte sits back down next to him. "We are." She leans her arms back on the couch relaxing casually.

"So it doesn't bother you that he has a child with the babysitter?"

"We don't know for sure that he does." She picks up her coffee. "Turns out the babysitter has a boyfriend. She's getting married and it could be his kid."

"Aren't you going to do a paternity test?" Todd asks.

"Nope, Allison doesn't want to know because if it turns out to be Cooper's kid she'll have to tell her boyfriend." She sips her coffee. " Some things are better left unknown."

Todd thinks about that. He came over to tell Charlotte that they really did have sex the night of her accident; she doesn't remember. He knows it'll upset her if he tells her. He dreads telling her but thinks it's the right thing to do, to be honest.

"So you don't believe honesty is the best policy?" He asks.

"Not if it's going to create much bigger elephants." She puts her coffee down and waves her hand as she speaks. "Allison's boyfriend loves Sammie and thinks she's his. If he finds out she could be Cooper's everything will change. He may resent Allison for not telling him sooner. Who knows? It may turn out that Sammie is his in the first place. Right now, everyone's happy so we decided to leave it alone."

"The situation reminds me of us after Akron's birth." Todd thinks back.

"I'm relieved Akron turned out to be Cooper's kid, otherwise everything would be a mess right now with custody and all that." She picks up her coffee again and takes a sip. "I wouldn't want to put Akron through that."

"You think I should have just left it alone?" Todd asks sincerely.

She looks him in the eye. "Yes. I love Cooper. We're a family. It would have been easier if you just left it alone like Cooper's doing with Sammie."

"I guess Cooper's a better man than me because I don't know if I could just forget I had a child." Todd tells her.

"Cooper was adopted. His birth mother gave him up so he could have a better life. He's giving Sammie up to Allison and her fiancé for the same reason."

"What you don't know can't hurt you?" Todd surmises.

"Exactly! Some things are just better left alone." Charlotte finishes her coffee.

"Maybe some things _are_ better left unsaid." He decides not to tell her about the night of the accident. It will only upset her and it wont help anything. He puts his coffee down. "I better get going. I have a long drive."

"Wait. What did you want to tell me? You said you left some stuff out about the night of my accident."

"Never mind." He tells her as he walks back to the door. "It wasn't that important."

"You came to my house to talk to me about it. It has to be somewhat important?" She questions him.

"Never mind." He rolls his eyes at her. "Goodbye, my fair lady." He lifts up her hand and kisses the top of it.

She squints her eyes at him and folds her arms in front of her. "What are you not telling me?"

"Some things are better left alone." He tells her and turns to leave.

She waves goodbye and wonders what he meant by that. She has an idea of what he might have wanted to tell her but she lets the thought go out of her head. "Some things are better left alone." She thinks to herself and shuts the door.

**REVIEW PLEASE**

**Special thanks To Just For Fun for being my beta on this chapter! :)**

**..TBC...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Book 3- Chapter 8 Wish Upon A Star**

**One month later:**

* * *

Charlotte comes out of the bathroom and hands Cooper the test strip. "Mission accomplished she tells him as she lies back down on the bed. "Ugh! I feel sick."

"We'll know in a few minutes why." He smiles big.

"You want me to be pregnant again?" Charlotte says with a sour face holding her hand over her belly. "I need to toss my cookies." She gets up and runs back into the bathroom. While she's in the bathroom Cooper watches as the test turns positive. Charlotte comes out of the bathroom wiping her mouth and lies back down on the bed. "So what's the answer?"

"What do you think?" Cooper teases her hiding the test.

"Come on Cooper. I'm too sick for games right now." She tries to grab the test from behind his back.

"Kiss me first." Cooper teases.

"Ya sure ya wanna kiss me right now?" She quirks an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, never mind." He wrinkles his nose up.

She swats him. "I don't have barf breath. I brushed after, but I'm likely to vomit again if you kiss me." She scowls.

"I don't care momma, give daddy a kiss." He kisses her and then hands her the test.

"I thought so." She says as she looks at the test. "I think this is the sickest I've been with any of them."

"That's a good sign Char, means the hormones are doing what they're supposed to be doing." Cooper smiles and lectures.

"I know, I know." She lies down on her pillow and closes her eyes.

"Are you happy Cricket?" Cooper asks as he rubs her back.

"Ask me later when I'm not nauseous." She tells him with her eyes closed.

"Besides the morning sickness, are you happy to be pregnant again?"

She rolls over and looks at him. "Yeah, four will make it an even number and we do make cute babies." She smiles at him and plays with his shirt. "How bout you?"

Cooper grins from ear to ear. "Can't you tell? I'm a pediatrician Char the more babies you pop out the merrier." He rubs her belly.

"Well this is the last baby I intend to spit out of this body, so you better savor it." She rolls back over. "We already got a mess of babies."

"I'm okay with that." Cooper tells her rubbing her head again. "I'm good with four."

"Good then I'll set up an appointment for you to get yourself fixed. Do you want me to do it in my office or would you prefer another urologist to do it?" Charlotte asks.

"Huh? Cooper's surprised. "That doesn't seem right having my wife castrate me."

"I'm not going to castrate you Coop." She looks at him. "I do these procedures all the time if you want I can draw you a diagram of what I do."

"I was kidding." Cooper responds. "I know how a vasectomy works."

"I'll set up an appointment with another urologist if you don't want me to do it." She answers. "Addison and Sam might not be too happy about you giving some other office your business though."

"I'm not letting you near me with a knife." Cooper holds his hands protectively over his privates. "I'm not comfortable with anyone snipping me down there."

"Would you prefer to wear condoms for the rest of your life?" She furrows her forehead at him.

"No." He answers.

"Then, what? You expect me to get snipped?" Charlotte asks.

"Well if you don't want more kids." Cooper answers.

"Let me get this straight. " Charlotte continues " You'd be okay with us havin' babies every year if neither one got snipped?"

"No. I'm not saying that." Cooper answers "Can't you just go back on the pill or something?" He lays his head on his pillow now.

"Why should I have to take a pill everyday when you can get a vasectomy? It's a simple procedure Coop. Then we don't have to worry."

Cooper sighs heavy. "I'll think about it. We have the next eight months to not worry since I already got you pregnant."

"Fine." Charlotte sighs "At least we don't have to worry about who got me pregnant this time."

"I second that thought." Cooper answers. "Not to change the subject but are you still up for camping with Violet and Pete this weekend? I have to let her know by tomorrow."

"Yeah. I'll go. If I have to barf at least we'll be outside." Charlotte rubs her belly.

"Vi's going to be happy to hear that" Cooper says sarcastically.

**Camping out.**

Charlotte, Cooper, Violet and Pete are all sitting around the campfire. "So, baby number four?" Pete's surprised. "Do you guys have a limit? Are you ever going to stop having kids?" Pete asks Cooper.

Cooper slaps Pete on the back. "You and Violet should have more. The fun part is making the baby."

Violet lectures. "Keep it clean over there. Little ears are listening." Violet helps six year old Lucas roast a marshmallow.

"He won't let me snip him!" Charlotte tells Pete as she helps Bryce roast his marshmallow.

Pete chuckles. "I wouldn't want my wife snipping me there either." Pete drinks his beer.

"Watch it Pete or maybe when you're sleeping tonight I'll surprise you." Violet kids around with her husband.

"Cooper doesn't want _anyone_ to snip him." Charlotte answers.

"Can't blame him." Pete says.

"So, I should have to take responsibility for it?" Charlotte questions him.

"Let's not do this now. Little ears are listening." Violet reminds.

"Fine." Charlotte answers. "Here's your marshmallow Bryce" Charlotte pulls the toasted marshmallow off of the stick.

"No momma. You eat it first." Bryce tells her.

"Momma can't eat it Bryce. Momma's tummy is feeling yucky."

"Why, momma?" Bryce questions.

"The new baby in momma's tummy makes her feel yucky sometimes." She answers him.

"It's a bad baby. I don't like it." Bryce pokes at Charlotte's belly.

Violet tells Bryce "The baby doesn't make your momma sick on purpose Bryce. I'm sure it's a nice baby." Violet smiles at Bryce.

"I don't like it. It's bad." Bryce answers. "It's my momma." Bryce grabs on to Charlotte and hugs her tight.

"You share momma with Savannah and Akron." Cooper tells him. "You'll share with this baby too."

"Stupid baby!" Bryce throws the marshmallow and the stick in the fire and stomps his feet.

"What are you throwin' a hissy fit about?" Charlotte looks at her three year old.

"I don't want another baby, momma!" He cries to Charlotte.

Cooper jumps in "You don't have a choice Bryce Walter. If you throw a fit like that again, it's the time out chair for you. You hear me, boy?"

Bryce hugs Charlotte and she cuddles him.

"It's his age Coop." Violet tells him. "Three year olds don't like to share."

"He's tired." Charlotte says. "It's past his bedtime. He goes to bed with the chickens." She picks him up. "Say goodnight to everyone Bryce."

"G'nite" He waves. "Will you stay with me in the tent momma?"

"I will." She taps him on the nose.

Violet and Pete get up to kiss Bryce goodnight. Cooper gives his son a kiss and tells Charlotte. "I'll be in as soon as I finish this beer." Charlotte rolls her eyes and brings Bryce into the family sized tent.

A half hour later Cooper comes in, the kids are all asleep in their sleeping bags. Charlotte's gazing up at the stars through the window in the tent. She turns to see Cooper enter the tent. "Well, ain't you a site for sore eyes! I was wondering when you were going to show up. "

"I was talking to Violet and Pete."

"Telling ghost stories?" She smirks.

He wrinkles his forhead. "No, we were talking about you. How are you feeling?" He asks.

Charlotte answers. "The fresh air is doing me good. It's peaceful watching the stars."

Cooper lies next to her in the sleeping bag. "It is" He looks up at the stars. "I'll do it Crickett. I'll have the procedure. You can schedule it whenever you want."

"Really?" She turns and looks at him.

"Yes. I want to do it for you." He kisses her.

She looks back up at the stars. "I love our life"

"Me too. It's not exactly a fairytale...but..." He looks up at the stars.

She turns to look at him."It's _our_ fairytale, it may not be perfect but it's _us_." She looks back up at the sky. "Look Coop! A shooting star." Charlotte points up at the sky. "Make a wish."

Cooper closes his eyes tight a moment and thinks. "Okay done." He tells her. "What did you wish for?"

"I already got my wish." She turns and looks at him again. "Don't need anything else." She grabs for his hand and holds it tight.

"Okay." He rolls on top of her. "But can I tell you what I wished for?"

"It's bad luck? If you tell me it might not come true, but okay tell me what'd you wish for." She rubs his back as he lays on top of her.

He looks into her hazel eyes. "I wished that I would stay happily married to Charlotte King for the rest of my life."

"I could make that wish happen for you." She pulls him close and kisses him on the lips.

* * *

**..TBC.. IN Book Four- The Circle Of Life**


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